Tappet adjusting tool



Sept. 4, 1951 E, w z 2,566,543

TAPPET ADJUSTING TOOL Filed Feb. 4. 1948 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The main objects of this invention are, to provide an improved tool for adjusting and setting lock-nut machine screws; to provide an improved tool of this kind having a nut socket and screw driver co-axially arranged and relatively shiftable axially of each other to permit the tool to be placed upon a machine screw with a lock nut to successively adjust said screw and nut; to provide improved means for releasably holding nut sockets of difiering sizes in co-axial adjustable relationship with said screw driver; to provide an improved arrangement of resilient means for determining the normal axial relationship of said nut socket and screw driver and permitting relative axial shifting thereof whereby said tool may be used for separately adjusting either the lock nut or the machine screw; to provide an improved tool construction of this kind which permits the tool to be operated by one hand so as to free the other hand for operations correlative to the effective adjustment of an associated machine screw and lock nut; and to provide a tool of this kind which is simple and economical to manufacture and facile and eflicient to use.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective. exploded view of a preferred form of tool of this kind showing the nut-socket separated from the spring clip which operatively supports it on the tool shank;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of the improved tool in place on a machine screw and lock nut, the parts being shown in their relative positions which permit a turning of the lock nut on the screw;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but with the tool shank depressed and slightly turned so as to bring the screw driver tip of the shank into registration with the kerf in the end of the screw; and

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are transverse, sectional details taken on the lines 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3.

The preferred form of tool, embodying this invention, comprises a shank I which has its end formed as a screw-driver tip 8 and which mounts a chuck or spring clip 9 for releasably holding a nutsocket II) in operative association with said screw-driver tip 8, a compression spring II, interposed between the clip 9 and a handle I2, serving to determine the operative relationship of said screw-driver tip 8 and said nutsocket III with respect to a machine screw I3 and its lock nut I 4.

The shank I is of circular cross-section throughout almost its entire length except for a short distance above the screw-driver tip 8 where it is of rectangular cross-section I5. The juncture of the circular and square parts of the shank I forms a shoulder I6 which limits the downward movement of the clip 9 under the influence of the spring II. The screw driver tip 8 is of conventional form. The upper end of the shank is received in a bore I8 formed in a medial knob H on the handle I2 and anchored to the handle by a set screw I9.

The screw-driver tip 8 is positioned so that its greater dimension is in the plane of the handle I2. This enables the operator to determine the disposition of the screw-driver tip 8 by the position of the handle I2.

The nut-socket supporting-clip or chuck 9 is in the form of a disk. Preferably it is spring metal and has at least three radially-disposed fingers or prongs 20 which are adapted to yieldingly grip and hold the nut socket II] in operative position on the squared end I5 of the shank I. The disk 9 is provided with a central circular hole or aperture 2I which permits the clip to slide on the circular part of the shank 'I.

The diametrical size of the nut-socket supporting clip 9 depends upon the size of nut sockets I0 with which the tool is to be used. Clips of varying diameters-especially between the fingers 20can be provided for use in supporting differing size nut sockets III on the shank I. Being made of spring material and the fingers 20 being slightly curved, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a clip 9 of a given diameter is capable of supporting nut sockets I0 of at least two differing sizes.

The nut socket I0 is a more or less conventional tool accessory, purchasable on the open market. Such nut sockets are usually of cylindrical form and have one end formed with a hexagonal-shaped bore 22 and the other end formed with a squared bore 23. The hexagonal bore 22 is of a standard size to permit the socket to fit over and operatingly engage a standard size nut I 4. The square bore 23 permits the insertion of a squared-end tool whereby the socket III may be turned for tightening or loosening the nut I4 on the screw I3.

The socket I0 is gripped by the clip fingers 20 and slidably held on the squared part I5 of the shank I. The length of the socket is such that when the clip 9 is forced by the spring II into its lowermost position against the shank shoulder I6 the open end of the hexagonal bore 22 extends well below the screw-driver tip 8 on the shank 'I and fits over the nut I 4 with the screw-driver tip 8 out of contact with the screw l3 so long as no pressure is applied to force the shank down against the action of the spring II.

The spring II is of such a character as will retain the clip 9 against the shank shoulder I6 so long as no material pressure is consciously applied by the operator on the handle l2.-

The handle I 2, as herein shown, is a single piece of metal with an integral medial knob I'I bored to receive the shank I. whereby the parts 3 are secured together, as hereinbefore explained.

The screw l3 and nut M, for use with which this tool has been especially designed, constitutes standard parts of a tappet 24. Generally close adjusting of the screw I3 is required in order to secure the proper action between the tappet 24 and a reciprocating element 25.

Very frequently this lock-nut and screw adjustment is located in a place of difiicult accessibility and which precludes the possibility of being easily reached, especially with both hands. Moreover, when the screw it is adjusted it is necessary to use one hand to hold a gauge between the screw head and the element 25 to determine proper spacing. Accordingly, to be able to secure a proper adjustment of a screw 13 and nut 14 it is imperative to have a readilyinsertable, easily-operatable, single-handed tool which can be used for first loosening the nut 54, adjusting the screw l3, and then tightening the nut, without having to remove the tool after it has been placed in position.

A-tool of the construction herein shown possesses these imperative qualities. With one hand grasping the handle it, the operator may insert the shank in between other parts of the machinery and place the bore 22 of the socket l0 into engagement with the nut Hi. So long as no material pressure is applied on the handle to compress the spring H, the screw-driver tip 8 will remain out of contact with the screw I3. In such case the turning of the handle i2 results in a turning of the nut Hi. Once the nut it is loosened a depression on the handle iii-often accompanied by a slight turning of the shank l-will bring the screw-driver tip 8 into contact with the kerf 25 in the screw l3. Thereupon, afurther turning of the handle 52 will permit the desired adjustment of the screw 13. Once the screw I3 has been properly adjusted with regard to the element 25, the pressure on the spring H may be relaxed, which will cause the screw driver tip 8 to recede from the screw kerf 26, permitting the operator to again rotate the shank so as to tighten the nut I4 and lock the screw it against displacement.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for use in adjusting an associated machine screw and lock nut comprising, a circular shank having a non-circular end terminating in a screw-driver tip and forming a shoulder at the juncture of said circular and non-circular portions of said shank, a disk having a circular opening therein whereby said disk is slidably mounted on said shank inwardly of said shoulder, axially-disposed prongs formed on said disk and adapted to releasably engage and hold therein a nut socket having a non-circular opening adapted to engage the non-circular end of said shank whereby said socket is rotatable with said shank,

cular shank having a non-circular end terminating in a screw-driver tip and forming a shoulder at the juncture of said circular and non-circular portions of said shank, a transverse handle secured to the upper end of said 'shank,.a spring disk having a circular opening whereby said disk is slidably mounted on said shank inwardly of said shoulder, said disk having radially-extending resilient prongs adapted to releasably engage and hold a nut socket therein with the nutreceiving part thereof extending beyond said screw-driver tip, and a compression spring embracing the circular part of said shank intermediate said shoulder and handleand normally urging said disk into engagement with said shoulder to hold said socket with the nut-engaging part thereof beyond said screw-driver tip in position to operatively engage with said lock nut but permitting said socket to be retracted along said shank to enable said screw-driver tip to engage a kerf on said machine screw.

3. A tool for use in adjusting an associated machine screw'and' lock-nut comprising a shank having at one end a non-circular enlargement, which is insertable into an axial non-circular opening in a nut-socket to connect said socket and shank together for conjoint rotation and is slidable through said opening to break'said connection whereby said socket is independently rotatable on said shank, said enlargement terminating in a screw driver tip, means carried by said shank for detachably holding said nutsocket, and a compression spring carried by said shank normally urging said socket toward said tip to hold said enlargement within said opening, said means being slidable along said shank away from said tip to disconnect said enlargement from said opening whereby said screw driver tip may be rotated independently of said nut-socket.

4. A tool for use in adjusting an associated machine screw and lock-nut comprising a circular shank havingat one end a non-circular enlargement which is insertable into a non-circular opening in a nut-socket to connect said socket and shank together for conjoint rotation and is slidable through said opening to break said connection whereby said socket is independ- REFERENCES" CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 637,990 Hoepner Nov. 28, 189.9 1,318,088 Klein Oct. 7,1919 1,590,831 Little July 8, 1924 1,522,927 Wickstr-om et al. Jan. 13,1925 1,677,473 Gast .July 17., 1928 I FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 670,755 French Aug. "24', 1929 

